The Tories argue elected commissioners would increase democratic accountability and remove swathes of bureaucracy, but there are deep concerns on the other side about police independence and whether it would lead to local pandering at the expense of national co-ordination of the big stuff. Now, there's an argument that says we already have the Mayor in charge of the Met, so what'd be different? They say the MPA's oversight role could be fulfilled by the London Assembly... which some Tories also want scrapping. Um.

Do we really want our Mayors - of whatever political persuasion - from hereon in to be ultimately responsible for how we're policed? There are problems in the force, yes, but surely adding another level of politicisation isn't going to help anybody.